


I know you're mine to keep

by weonvu (genisaurion)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Twoshot, dedicated to: soonseoknet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 10:58:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7681747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genisaurion/pseuds/weonvu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a destination beach town where people frequently come and go, Seokmin meets Soonyoung, who is in every respect everything Seokmin has ever needed in his life… if only he would allow himself to become attached.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I know you're mine to keep

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to [soonseok-net](http://soonseok-net.tumblr.com/) fam and Fay.
> 
> Also, this got to be really long, so I'm splitting it in two parts to help with readability.

“Hey! Hey!”

There’s a man waving enthusiastically at him from a table across the restaurant, but Seokmin is pretty sure he has never seen this person before. He knows because in a town like this nearly everyone comes and goes, especially during the summer months when business is booming from the tourism industry. It’s a town where strangers who seek an escape from routine meet briefly before parting ways on the empty promise of keeping in touch—but they seldom do.

 _He’s gotta be a tourist_ , Seokmin thinks. For a fleeting moment he wonders where the man has come from, who he’s with, for how long, and why the man thinks he knows him; Seokmin doesn’t believe he should know him, since tourists rarely frequent the same restaurant during the same vacation. But then Seokmin catches himself and dismisses the meaningless questions. The man isn’t one of his customers, anyway. After today, Seokmin will never see that guy ever again, let alone speak with him.

Maybe that’s just how Seokmin wants it to play out. After all, Seokmin has perfected the art of first impressions. He greets his customers as if each of them has made his night, flashes them his best smile to win their favor… all in the good faith that he won’t see these families ever again. Sure, Seokmin has a lot of great conversations with his customers that he genuinely enjoys, and it’s easy for him to chat them up like he’s been friends with them for years. But Seokmin knows it’s better to remain detached beneath the surface. By drawing the line between his personal interests and the service expected of him, he won’t feel disappointed when people he likes come and go. This man, for whom Seokmin still has no name, shouldn’t be any different.

To his surprise, the unnamed man stays for most of the evening. He watches Seokmin from afar, then tries to grab Seokmin’s attention whenever he’s within earshot; each time Seokmin humors him only briefly before he’s pulled away to tend to one of his other tables. Being watched isn’t a particularly unusual occurrence, given Seokmin has had plenty of older male and female customers stare a little too longingly in his direction before. The latter… well, Seokmin supposes it’s not totally uncommon, either. He’s waited on his fair share of needy and impatient customers, sure, but to Seokmin this feels like a slightly different problem.

 _He can't possibly be that much older than me_ , Seokmin thinks. He gets the feeling the man is there for him, no longer for the food, yet it doesn’t give him the unsettling feeling he expects from being watched. Seokmin wonders whether it should.

“Hey,” Seokmin whispers to Seungcheol, the bartender for the evening, and one of his close friends. In a town like theirs, it’s easy to figure out who _doesn’t_ leave. “Do you see that guy over there, sitting by himself? I think he’s been here for at least three hours, now.”

“You mean that guy?” Seungcheol asks, indiscreetly nodding his head to the man’s direction. Seokmin bites his lip apprehensively: Without a doubt, the unnamed man would have noticed the gesture. “Yeah, man, I think so too. My lovely Angel keeps complaining about him because he’s already ordered five bowls of soup… on top of his first order of pork bulgogi.”

Seokmin whistles in awe, shaking his head. He can’t believe someone can have an appetite for that much soup. He also can’t believe Seungcheol is still calling the restaurant owner’s son his ‘Angel.’ If Seungcheol were more discreet around him, Seokmin would understand, but given how Seungcheol becomes flustered whenever he enters the room, Seokmin wouldn’t be surprised if Jeonghan (er, _his Angel_ ) already knows he’s being talked about.

“It doesn’t seem a little strange to you? Maybe it’s just me, but I’m getting the feeling he’s been watching me all eve—”

“It’s probably just you,” Seungcheol concludes, grinning unapologetically as he pours his next drink. “But let’s say he’s really got his eye on you. If you’re single and a guy is into you, what’s the issue?”

Seokmin spends the rest of his shift pondering over Seungcheol’s question—he even continues to entertain the question as he’s walking home alone in the dead of night. In and of itself, there is no issue. But what Seokmin hasn’t wrapped his head around is why the man wants his attention in the first place, and whether he’ll keep wanting it…

Seokmin’s preoccupation, coupled with his earbuds blaring his favorite tunes, causes him to entirely miss a series of ‘Hey’s from somewhere behind him. So naturally, he's taken by complete surprise when he feels a sudden tapping on his shoulder.

Seokmin stops, turns around.  
It’s him.

Their eyes don't meet until the man has caught his breath again. Up close, Seokmin confirms what he had seen from afar: the man does seem about his age, perhaps a year younger or older at most. He also looks eager, like he’s waited all night for this opportunity. Seokmin knows he shouldn’t entertain the stranger, yet he doesn’t back away, even as he considers the possibility that this man could be out to abduct him.

“You shouldn't be walking alone at this time of night!” are the first formal words spoken to him.

“Excuse me?”

“I said—” and though Seokmin heard him loud and clear the first time, he lets the man repeat himself anyway.

“Would you let me walk home with you, Seokmin?”

 “How do you know my name?” Seokmin asks, frowning. If he didn’t feel concerned before, he certainly does now. It becomes a source of cognitive dissonance for Seokmin, since he also thinks this man looks too harmless to even be capable of devious intentions.

“You told me! When you served me the other day… on Saturday, I think?” The man grins, as if having accomplished a really great feat for remembering Seokmin’s name. Seokmin, meanwhile, remains puzzled. Earlier that evening he had been so sure they hadn’t met… but perhaps they had? Then again, his job these days is routine enough to where he barely remembers the faces of the customers he waits on at the restaurant. He might even go so far as to say he forgets on purpose.

“I guess I must have… sorry, what did you say your name was again?”

“It’s Soonyoung.”

“Soonyoung. Okay.” Seokmin repeats it again in his head for good measure. He doesn’t often ask his customers for their name, so he wonders if Soonyoung had voluntarily introduced himself upon their first meeting. Regardless, Soonyoung doesn’t seem particularly bothered by having to remind Seokmin of this detail.

“And you came back to the restaurant today? What about yesterday?”

“The other day, I couldn’t choose between the beef or pork bulgogi, remember? You recommended the beef, so I wanted to try the pork! But I couldn’t try it until today because I was with my aunt yesterday.”

Seokmin personally isn’t the type to eat at a restaurant so soon after trying it for the first time, but the logic makes enough sense for him to buy. Now that he thinks about it more carefully, this is probably why Soonyoung was looking his way in the first place; why Soonyoung had been so eager to get his attention, on the other hand, is a different question that remains unanswered for the time being.

“So, can I walk with you, then?”

“Huh?”

“Walk. With. You. Can I?” Seokmin isn’t sure, given the dimness of the night, but he suspects Soonyoung is probably smiling at him. “I told you, you shouldn't be walking alone at this time of night.”

“I do it all the time,” Seokmin replies, shrugging.

“You still shouldn't. Also, you shouldn't listen to music that loudly. You won't be able to hear anyone sneaking up on you.” Seokmin opens his mouth to retort, but then acknowledges Soonyoung has a point: he hadn't heard Soonyoung shouting at him, what more had Soonyoung approached him quietly?

“So?”

“Huh?—oh, yeah.” Seokmin gives the proposition another moment's thought. “Yeah, I guess you can.”

Seokmin prays Soonyoung really doesn’t intend to kidnap him, given how easily he’s acquiesced to Soonyoung’s requests. Soonyoung, on the other hand, is beaming.

“I'm glad to hear it.”

It's on this lighter note that the two begin the remainder of their walk to Seokmin's place. Seokmin takes his usual route—the shortest route, through neat rows of houses that line the side of the main road opposite the beach—and though it’s not exactly the scenic route he suspects Soonyoung hadn’t signed up for the joyride anyway. Not that it’s a particularly bad night though, Seokmin thinks to himself: Some of the lampposts seemed to not be working, sure, but Seokmin finds the faint glow from the moon to be beautiful that evening.

Strictly speaking, Soonyoung is still a stranger, so while he's meant to be good company Seokmin has to remind himself to be wary of Soonyoung's character and his motives. But he’s not all that bad, Seokmin comes to realize: Soonyoung is very forthcoming with his feelings. Seokmin also learns that, as he suspected, Soonyoung is only visiting for the summer, having arrived just the week prior with the intention of staying for a good three more weeks. It's also the first time Soonyoung has gone on vacation alone (or traveled anywhere without his parents' supervision, really); Seokmin reasons that's probably why Soonyoung is so particular about safety precautions.

“How about you?” Soonyoung asks. “Where are you from?”

“I'm from here.” Soonyoung reacts predictably: most of those whom Seokmin meets forget that locals do exist in a beach town populated predominantly by tourists. “I share the rent with my brother, but he’s spending this summer exploring the world, finding the world…that kind of thing.”

Unlike Soonyoung, Seokmin is less inclined in that moment to talk about himself (“It’s okay, you’re tired from work I get it,” Soonyoung reassures him, and Seokmin thinks he’s receiving more credit than he deserves), so their conversation dies down by the time they reach Seokmin's house. It's somewhat awkward of a goodbye, considering Soonyoung had been the one to impose: Soonyoung mumbles a Thank You, though Seokmin isn't sure why he’s the one giving gratitude, and he leaves Seokmin for the night on the possibility that they might see each other soon.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Seokmin replies halfheartedly, though Soonyoung is already out of earshot. “Maybe we'll run into each other again.”

 _We won't, though_ , Seokmin adds, to himself. People like Soonyoung never last.

—

But Seokmin unexpectedly runs into Soonyoung the very next day.

Or, well, it's unexpected on Seokmin's part. Soonyoung doesn’t do a very good job at faking surprise, which tips Seokmin off that maybe it’s not as coincidental as he suspects. He’s at least able to recognize Soonyoung this time (though with a face like Soonyoung’s, Seokmin wonders how he hadn’t been able to before), and while it earns him brownie points in Soonyoung’s book, Seokmin reminds himself that Soonyoung hadn’t even taken offense to his oversight the first time.

“Spending all your money on our restaurant?” Seokmin quips after he's enlightened Soonyoung with the specials for the day. Because he gets assigned to Soonyoung’s table, Seokmin is able to talk more naturally with him today, though the amount of idle time he has remains limited. Truthfully, Seokmin is still unsure of Soonyoung’s intentions, but because Soonyoung doesn’t strike Seokmin as the secretive type, he figures he’ll find out soon enough.

Plus, Soonyoung hadn’t kidnapped him last night. Seokmin supposes that has to count for something.

“Just for now,” Soonyoung replies. “Besides, I haven’t tried the chicken bulgogi yet. But maybe sometime soon we can hang out outside your work?”

“You sound hopeful,” says Seokmin with a hesitant laugh. Something about the exchange gives Seokmin a fleeting feeling of déjà vu… not that he’s still doubtful, but maybe he really had served Soonyoung the other day.

“So then, the chicken bulgogi. Is that all I can get you for today?”

“That’s all,” Soonyoung confirms.

Except later, when Seokmin returns with Soonyoung’s food about twenty minutes later, Soonyoung has more to say.

“Oh! That reminds me, there are still things I want to tell you.”

Seokmin pauses for a second, trying to backtrack Soonyoung’s train of thought while juggling some of the other requests he’s received from his customers.

“Things? Like what?”

Soonyoung shrugs, though there’s a subtle coyness to the way his lips curl. Or at least, Seokmin thinks. He’s also not sure why he’s taken notice of such a small detail like Soonyoung’s lips. Indeed, every time Seokmin has brought out an order, he’d always glanced in Soonyoung’s direction at least once.

“Mm, just things. Like how you shouldn’t—”

“Wait,” Seokmin interjects, “never mind, tell me later, I don't have time to chat right now.”

So that was how, three hours and six bowls of soup later, Seokmin finds himself being walked home by Soonyoung for the second night in a row. Seokmin can’t deny that he’s persistent, distracting, and charming, all at once.

“You were going to walk by yourself again, weren't you?” Soonyoung reprimands, clicking his tongue as he wags his index finger at Seokmin. “I told you—”

“So what were you going to tell me?”

Soonyoung pauses, both in stride and in mid-sentence, as if surprised for being cut off. “Wow, straight to the point, huh?” he asks in mock awe. Truthfully, it’s more like Seokmin is dying to know what Soonyoung has to say. It isn’t as though he was spending his whole shift thinking about it, though. “Right, I was going to say, you also shouldn't let strangers walk you to your house.”

“Oh, okay.” Seokmin pauses, then frowns, then turns sharply to Soonyoung in protest. Soonyoung, meanwhile, seems amused at the delayed reaction time. “But you _asked_ to walk me home?”

“Exactly. So you failed the test. What if I had just been sweet talking you? What if I was convincing you to show me where you live, so I could rob you later?”

“... _are you_?” Seokmin asks with narrowed eyes. It’s mostly a rhetorical question, though. Soonyoung’s gestures and expressions already assure Seokmin that it’s the last thing that would make his list of intentions.

“What, robbing you? Nah, I'm not after that, stop being paranoid.”

“I'm not paranoid!” Seokmin cries indignantly. If anything, Seokmin thinks Soonyoung is the paranoid one, given all the pieces of precautionary advice he’s been offered.

“Okay, fine, you're not paranoid. What are you then?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Okay then, you’re Don’t Know. DK for short. I like it.”

“What? No. That doesn’t even make sense.” Seokmin stares incredulously at Soonyoung, who seems very amused with their banter. Perhaps Seokmin would as well, were it not at his expense and already so late after his work shift. “I’m just Seokmin. How about that?”

Soonyoung nods. There’s a hint of an apologetic smile curling at his lips. “That works for me. Sorry, man, it’s just… somehow you aren’t the guy I thought you’d be when I first met you. I got carried away probing you to see what you might really be.”

“Well. Thanks?” As Seokmin shakes his head at Soonyoung’s use of the word ‘probing,’ he wonders what Soonyoung’s expectations had been, and in what ways he may have deviated from them. Was it because of this change that Soonyoung came back for him? On his part, Seokmin wasn’t making any active efforts to change the way he acted around Soonyoung, or at least he didn’t think he was…

Seokmin doesn’t allow himself to think on it for long, nor does Soonyoung give him the opportunity. Though the remainder of their walk is somewhat short, they still manage to talk about where each of them spent their childhood, their current hobbies, and their political stances, just to name a few topics. It’s the most Seokmin has been engaged in a conversation for a long time—he talks about himself more than he had the night before, but he also likes listening to Soonyoung talk and finds himself returning to the role of Listener frequently.

Before Seokmin realizes it, they reach his place. Yet again, he’s faced with the awkwardness of having to say goodbye—it’s not that he wants to part ways and end their conversation short, but rather he knows he has to. And while he won’t admit to enjoying conversations with Soonyoung, he knows he’s already crossed a line: He’s seen Soonyoung more than once.

“Well, thanks,” Seokmin manages, after several minutes of standing on the porch.

“Sure, sure.” Seokmin’s stomach tightens a bit when he looks at Soonyoung, who always seems so bright and hopeful… like he’s waiting for something. It’s a look that’s been on Soonyoung’s face, at least for the two days Seokmin has known him—a look that Seokmin doesn’t know how to satiate. “I’ll see you around, yeah?”

Seokmin’s response is laden with hesitance: “Yeah, maybe.” The guilt is hard enough, having to hide that he’s actually hoping to not see Soonyoung again, even if he kind of wishes he will. But more than that, as he watches Soonyoung retreat into the darkness of the night, he can’t help but to wonder if he’s forgotten something important.

—

As it turns out, the ‘something important’ is that Seokmin has the next day off.

He feels bad that it slipped his mind to tell Soonyoung. It’s also not like Seokmin is purposely trying to avoid Soonyoung: had he asked, Seokmin probably would have remembered to mention it. Seokmin isn’t expecting Soonyoung to visit the restaurant for a fourth day, anyway, especially since Soonyoung has already tried the pork, beef, _and_ chicken bulgogi. Under that logic, Seokmin thinks he’ll be fine—but even if Soonyoung does come by to visit, Seokmin doubts Soonyoung would be the type to be angry.

So when Seokmin returns to work and finds out that Soonyoung _had_ asked for him, he’s surprised yet not really surprised at all. If Seokmin wasn’t suspicious before, he now firmly believes Soonyoung is frequenting the restaurant for reasons beyond just the bulgogi.

“Since when were you all chummy with him?” Seungcheol adds, his voice clearly conveying his fascination for Seokmin’s situation. In retrospect, Seokmin wonders if Seungcheol would have even cared, had he not pointed Soonyoung out to him first several days before. Had he not, Seungcheol might have written Soonyoung off as a creepy customer trying to make a pass at an innocent waiter, rather than a person of potential interest to Seokmin.

“Well, I wouldn’t say we’re _chummy_ ,” Seokmin starts, but Seungcheol has just the response ready for him.

“But he says you let him walk you home?”

At first Seokmin just stares, shocked at how much Seungcheol knows. But then Seokmin realizes it isn’t all that surprising: Given his own impressions of Soonyoung are that he isn’t one for secrets (though Seokmin has a feeling that Soonyoung wouldn’t have problems keeping _actual_ secrets, if he knew they weren’t meant to be shared), Seokmin doesn’t see a good reason why Soonyoung would withhold anything from Seungcheol, either.

“Honestly? He… just kind of does it. Actually, he’ll probably try walking me home tonight, too—you should come with us!”

“Nah, that’s fine,” Seungcheol says, waving his hand dismissively. “But you know what you should do, though? When he drops you off at your doorstep, you should invite him inside.”

“Invite him… inside?” Seokmin frowns at the suggestion. Normally, Seungcheol is great at giving practical advice, but this one doesn’t settle with him quite as nicely. Granted, he has no real reason against Seungcheol’s suggestion—were it any other guy and Seokmin would have been more concerned for his safety, but he hardly fears for his life when he’s around someone like Soonyoung—except that he just doesn’t _know_ the guy, and for all he knows Soonyoung could just be trying to rob him.

 _He’s not_ , Seokmin reminds himself. They’ve discussed this much already. But the principle of the matter still stands.

“Yeah. Invite. Him. Inside. Come on, Seokmin, the night hasn’t even started and you’re already spacing out on me.” There’s a moment’s pause, in which Seungcheol eyes Seokmin carefully while the latter’s head is racing with thoughts. Perhaps to distract himself from the question at hand, Seokmin’s eyes scan the room. There are many features of the restaurant that Seokmin only pays attention to in this moment, like the gorgeous wooden bar, the covered patio, and the numerous photos of celebrity visitors lining the walls; Seokmin thinks it gives the restaurant a rustic feel, something he just doesn’t notice in the normalcy and routine of most other days.

After a moment Seungcheol adds, “What’s got you hesitating? You don’t seem the kind to think things over like this.”

“Wow, thanks,” Seokmin responds dryly, but Seungcheol insistently shakes his head.

“No, really, Seokmin. Is it because you don’t know him well? You don’t seem to mind much at work. I’ve seen how you wait tables.”

“That’s for work though,” Seokmin tries. “It’s different.” And he means it. Social interactions are easier when it’s not on a personal level, when he knows everything won’t matter once the bill is paid and customers are out the door. Meanwhile, he’s seen Soonyoung twice now, and given how well they’ve clicked and Soonyoung’s tendency to just show up at the restaurant, Seokmin has a hunch he’ll only be seeing more of Soonyoung in the near future.  

Seungcheol doesn’t seem to buy Seokmin’s argument, though. “Look, I’m not saying you should try and get lucky… though power to you if it ends up happening. All I’m saying is that you should give this guy a chance. He’s on a vacation by himself for another, what, three weeks?”—Seokmin nods, not even the least bit surprised that Seungcheol knows this amount of detail— “…and you’re a workaholic who needs more friends outside of work.”

Seokmin opens his mouth to protest, but then decides against it. He hates to admit it, but there is some sense to Seungcheol’s logic: Seokmin mostly talks to his co-workers, and seldom anyone else. But it’s because he knows his co-workers are the most stable and won’t leave the town. Seokmin doesn’t want to remember the feeling of becoming attached to someone who’ll leave him behind, who’ll think of him only as a summer fling….

If he lets himself get close to Soonyoung, will he eventually get left behind…?

“Fine,” Seokmin mutters at last, “I’ll give it a try, just once. But if I do this, I expect you to make a move on your _lovely Angel_ too, yeah?”

Seungcheol’s reaction is contradictory yet expected, though it’s another story for another time.

“I-I… uh… my Angel? Who’s that? I’ve never heard of them, sorry, no deal!”

—

As expected, Soonyoung finds Seokmin at the end of the night. This time, Soonyoung doesn’t even ask for Seokmin’s permission—he just accompanies Seokmin, stride for stride, as if they’d planned this arrangement beforehand.

“You weren’t around yesterday?” Soonyoung asks, though it’s mostly for niceties’ sake: they both know Seokmin hadn’t worked.

“Yeah, I don’t work Wednesdays or Sundays.” He means it as a passing comment, yet almost expects Soonyoung to commit his schedule to memory. “Sorry I forgot to mention it before.”

Today they decide to take a detour, opting for the scenic route along the beach (although, the path is essentially parallel to Seokmin’s normal route). Soonyoung insists, because the moon is pretty and “It would be a shame to miss seeing the water,” and Seokmin doesn’t mind since he could use the time to formulate a better plan for inviting Soonyoung over. Both of them walk barefoot, shoes dangling at their sides, and as Soonyoung makes a show of relishing every step his feet make into the sand Seokmin starts to wonder if Soonyoung had ever seen a beach before this trip.

“No need to apologize, man!” Though he doesn’t intend to push his luck, Seokmin is curious to learn what would cause Soonyoung to get angry. It’s a quality he’s come to like about Soonyoung: It makes him easy to talk to, especially given the time of night and Seokmin’s level of fatigue.

“Well, I’ll apologize to your wallet then. Today must’ve been your… fifth day at the restaurant?” Though Soonyoung naturally keeps a calm disposition, there’s something particularly soothing about seeing his smile that evening. Perhaps it may have something to do with the moonlight, but Seokmin swears Soonyoung’s face is glowing.

“I didn’t eat at the restaurant tonight, so I guess it’s still four days.”

“You didn’t?” As Seokmin takes the moment to reflect on his evening, he realizes that Soonyoung is right. He had been incredibly busy, sure, but it’s exactly for that reason that Seokmin believes he would have noticed Soonyoung’s usual, extended presence at the restaurant. Seokmin feels bad for his oversight, though Soonyoung dismisses his guilt when he tries expressing it.

“I’d be mad if you served me and forgot,” Soonyoung adds, waving his hand to reassure Seokmin further. Seokmin conveniently reminds him that he's forgotten once already, right at the onset. “But nah, you’re a busy guy at work, don’t sweat it.”

Seokmin nods. It’s hard to argue against Soonyoung when he looks this breathtaking. “All right, then. But now I’m curious. If you weren’t there tonight, how’d you know to find me tonight?” At his question, Soonyoung’s face starts to flush a noticeable pink. Seokmin finds himself liking how Soonyoung is terrible at hiding things from people, if only because Soonyoung is cute when flustered…

…wait.

He’s just… called Soonyoung cute… _breathtaking_ , even….

And suddenly, as if the newly gained insight triggers the memory, an unfortunate selection of Seungcheol’s words from earlier that day return to him:

‘I’m not saying you should try and get lucky….’

Getting lucky with Soonyoung? Seokmin shakes his head furiously to rid himself of the offending thought. But at the same time, if Seokmin is being brutally honest with himself, he can’t deny that maybe… he wouldn’t mind if….

“You okay?” Seokmin’s sudden movement has caught Soonyoung’s attention. Seokmin doesn’t dare finish the sentence in his head.

“Y-Yeah.” Seokmin finds himself nodding again, though more slowly and absentmindedly this time. He doesn’t take back his assessment, because he really does think Soonyoung is cute. And that in itself is okay, Seokmin thinks: He’s seen his fair share of attractive people in this town, so one more isn’t out of the ordinary. What concerns Seokmin more, however, is the number of lines he would be crossing—the most important one being an attachment to someone who wasn’t from the area. And just now, Seokmin is sure he felt dangerously close to…

“Anyway,” Soonyoung continues, and Seokmin is more than grateful for the distraction, “I was saying that your friend Seungcheol told me last night when your shift would end.”

“He would tell you that,” Seokmin remarks dryly. For now, he lets go his thoughts of Soonyoung looking stunning under the moon, doesn’t think about the fact that he may be digging himself a deeper hole. “What’re your impressions of him, anyway?”

“Seungcheol?” Soonyoung purses his lips as he contemplates the question. “He seems nice. He talked a lot about you, and about this guy named Angel. Do you know him?”

“Yeah, he’s the son of the restaurant owner.” Seokmin laughs. He feels a tinge of secondhand embarrassment as he discloses Seungcheol’s crush over Jeonghan. “He calls Jeonghan his Angel so that he can talk about him in public like it’s some big secret, but it’s really not a secret at all. Even Jeonghan knows about it, probably.”

“Do you think Jeonghan likes him back?” Soonyoung asks, his facial expressions etched with intrigue. But Seokmin can only offer him a shrug and an uncertain response, because Seungcheol always plays dumb when the topic of Jeonghan is brought up.

“But if Seungcheol wants to make a move,” Seokmin adds, “then he’s gotta do it this summer.” A detail that he often overlooks is that Jeonghan doesn’t live in this town, even though Jeonghan’s family owns the restaurant: Jeonghan only visits over the summer, where he spends his break working for the business. To an extent Jeonghan is one of _those_ people who comes and goes, but what separates him from other tourists is that he has a stable reason for returning. Whereas Soonyoung, on the other hand…

Seokmin sighs. He’ll deal with his transgressions later.

“I’m really jealous of you,” Soonyoung’s now telling him. Belatedly, Seokmin realizes he’s zoned out again. “It must be really nice, living so close to the water.”

“The view isn’t as captivating during the winter,” Seokmin reminds Soonyoung, though he’s otherwise in agreement. The summers more than make up for the weather during the rest of the year. “But it’s still nice. We don’t get too much snow here.”

“I bet.” Soonyoung stops abruptly, which Seokmin doesn’t notice right away. When he does look Soonyoung’s way, Seokmin finds him crouched over, digging up a seashell buried in the sand. Seokmin finds that the gleam from the moonlight is particularly pretty.

“I wish I lived here.”

“So do I,” Seokmin agrees. If only Soonyoung did live here, Seokmin wouldn’t have even half of the internal conflicts he was currently facing. He doesn’t think carefully about what he’s said, though, especially the number of ways his three words could be interpreted. It’s only when Soonyoung stands up and gives him the strangest look that Seokmin realizes something’s off at all.

“Seokmin… you _do_ live here.” Soonyoung exhales, a soft laugh escaping his lips, and Seokmin decides he’s too entranced to form a proper reply. He could correct himself, though that would probably open an entirely different can of worms. He could also accept the blunder as is, even if he intended to express a different sentiment. With his gaze fixed on Soonyoung’s, and with his thoughts consumed elsewhere, it takes Seokmin a moment to feel the seashell being pressed into his hands.

“What’s this?” Seokmin manages. His voice is soft as he glances down at the seashell, finding its shell quite pretty as it reflects the moonlight.

“It’s a little gift,” Soonyoung answers. His voice is light with amusement, and Seokmin can’t bring himself to look up at him just yet. “This little guy needed a home, but I don’t think he’d be happy living with me back home. I think you should keep him.”

So Seokmin does keep him. For the remainder of their walk he holds the shell securely between his palms, occasionally running his fingers along its shell to remind himself how smooth it feels.

They move onto other conversation topics, but Seokmin doesn’t really follow, because he’s still wrapping itself around how cute Soonyoung’s story had been, and convincing himself that his heart isn’t really aflutter. It’s not like he’s just entertaining Soonyoung’s make-believe story either—well, he supposes he _is_ entertaining Soonyoung to some extent, given how he sometimes whispers words of encouragement to it whenever he knows Soonyoung’s listening—but beyond giving a seashell a home Seokmin does hold some value into the gift Soonyoung’s given him. It’s symbolic, almost.

When they reach Seokmin’s all too familiar porch, Seokmin realizes he’s failed to think of a proper plan for inviting Soonyoung in. As a result, their goodbye is more awkward than it ever has been before, a feat which Seokmin didn’t think was at all possible. Seokmin stumbles over his words:

“Do you want… want to come…”

Seokmin starts off on the right track, but ultimately he falls just short of making the invitation.

“…come see me again tomorrow?”

At first Soonyoung only stares at him, unable to give a response. Seokmin fears he’s asked a question he shouldn’t have—and perhaps rightly so, given Seokmin has requested of Soonyoung something he’s already been doing for the past few days. But then Soonyoung smiles and nods, looking almost relieved, even though Seokmin thinks he’s the one who attempted a leap of faith; and Seokmin is able to breathe again.

“Maybe it also makes sense if we exchange numbers,” Soonyoung adds. “But only if that’s cool with you.”

“Yeah, that probably would be good. That way you don’t have to assume I’ve ditched you as a result of my oversight.” Seokmin knows he should probably be giving the decision more thought. In his mind, giving Soonyoung his number means he’s accepted he’s reached a certain level of comfort with Soonyoung; it also means Soonyoung has an accessible means of contacting him. It’s not even that Soonyoung is a stranger—Seokmin doesn’t even know if he cares about that anymore, or if he really considers Soonyoung a stranger still. What worries him more…

“Well,” Soonyoung says conclusively, after they’ve successfully swapped each other’s numbers, “I guess I’ll be seeing you later, then?”

…is that he might come to like Soonyoung more than he ought to. And each time Soonyoung sees him to his door, each time Seokmin watches Soonyoung as he’s walking away from his house, the fear of becoming complacent with something that he knows won’t last begins to feel more and more real.

—

Seokmin isn’t normally an early riser, given his work shifts keep him up later than he would like. But the following morning, when a half-asleep Seokmin checks his phone and finds a text from Soonyoung, Seokmin forces himself to get out of bed. He finds that Soonyoung is relatively quick at responding to his texts, and it prompts him to wonder how someone like Soonyoung normally spends his time so early in the morning, especially when Seokmin reminds himself that Soonyoung is meant to be on vacation. If he were in Soonyoung shoes, Seokmin knows he wouldn’t be out of bed until noon if he didn’t have to be up.

_Hey Seokmin~ This is Soonyoung. Did I wake you?_

Not wanting to see Soonyoung sad on his account, even though Seokmin can’t actually see Soonyoung’s face were he to be responsible for such emotion, Seokmin tries to tell a white lie.

_I needed to be up anyway. You sleep well?_

_So I did wake you, then – you can thank me later! And I slept well. Hope you did too!_

Now that he’s awake, Seokmin finally gets around to house chores he’s neglected over the past week—granted, the tasks take him several hours, since he frequently pauses the vacuum to send replies to Soonyoung’s texts. But with his brother gone and his busy schedule, cleaning regularly is just something that falls to the wayside. Indeed, Seokmin thinks it’s probably a blessing that Soonyoung hadn’t come in the night before, given all the clutter that had been left unattended.

Seungcheol doesn’t buy this excuse, though, as Seokmin’s trying to explain himself later that evening. Truthfully, Seokmin had tried not bringing it up at all, hoping that Seungcheol would forget all about their conversation. But to his dismay, Seungcheol was too curious to have not inquired. It leaves Seokmin in a bit of a pinch, because he can’t just say “I choked up because Soonyoung was too handsome for me to handle,” not without giving Seungcheol more of a reason to press further. Seokmin can’t even lie about it, or at least think of a believable alternate story that could explain why he wasn’t able to get all of three words out correctly.

“ _Wanna come in_ ,” Seungcheol reminds Seokmin. “That’s all you gotta say. It’s the shortest sentence in all of history, come on!”

“I’m sorry,” is all Seokmin replies in the end, hoping that a lack of explanation would not merit further questions.

Surprisingly, it works.

“Well, whatever. You can try again tonight, right?” Seokmin wishes it were that easy. It’s not the act of asking Soonyoung that’s difficult, but rather getting himself ready to accept what it would mean if he did invite Soonyoung over. He can’t deny what he felt the night before, can’t ignore what boundaries he would cross if he went through with these plans. But he also can’t pretend like it’s not something he wants…

“Right,” Seokmin resolves. He’ll give it another try tonight. His determination renewed, Seokmin spends the entire shift trying to come up with a plan, which isn’t a bad thing in and of itself except that it causes him to forget a few offhand orders given to him in passing. He senses that Seungcheol is suspicious of him, given all the looks he’s given from across the restaurant, but it’s only when he’s retreated to their break room that Seungcheol finally brings it up.

“Man, you’re totally whipped!”

“What?” Unsure how to respond, Seokmin breaks into nervous laughter, waving his hands defensively as he stutters through a comeback. “Where did that come from? I-I… I am not.”

“You’ve been so out of it this evening,” Seungcheol states matter-of-factly. “One of my customers even asked me if you just changed your meds.”

“That’s a little extreme,” Seokmin remarks. Seungcheol merely shrugs, telling Seokmin he’s simply stating the facts.

“And just now, you were hunched over your phone with the widest grin on your face. You were texting him, weren’t you? You didn’t tell me you got his number! And here I was thinking you were beyond salvageable!” Seokmin sighs through clenched teeth, running fingers through his hair as he tries his best to conceal his embarrassment for being put on the spot. He’s not really sure what to say when Seungcheol gets excited like this. He’s also not sure if he should feel insulted.

“Maybe—”

“But really,” Seungcheol continues, “that should make things a lot easier—if you’re still interested in him, I mean. But that’s just my two cents.”

Seokmin opens his mouth to protest, but then decides to keep his silence. Seungcheol’s point is only valid to an extent. Sending the invitation over text message made the execution easier, sure, but it still required the mental preparation of asking. 

“I am,” is Seokmin’s conclusion. There are a lot of things he still doesn’t understand, but what he does know for certain is that he wouldn’t be so bothered by the situation if he weren’t at least partially interested in Soonyoung. Admitting that much isn’t lying to himself, Seokmin is sure, and he knows there’s a certain seashell who would be ready to call out his lie otherwise.

—

Soonyoung texts him that evening, apologizing for bailing due to unexpected plans, so it's not until Saturday evening that Seokmin is faced with his next opportunity to invite Soonyoung into his house. He’s running a little later than usual, given how busy their night had been: there are just more loose ends that need to be tied, loose ends that require more of his time. Seokmin tries to complete the tasks as quickly as he can, given that night he’s explicitly asked Soonyoung to meet him and that he doesn’t want to keep him waiting. As a result, he finds himself out of breath when he races out of the restaurant… only to find himself also out of words when he spots Soonyoung chatting with Seungcheol.

“Oh hey!” Soonyoung calls out to him. Seokmin swears Seungcheol gives him a wink as he approaches them; Seokmin suddenly feels concerned for what he may have missed.

“Hey, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No apology needed, man! Seungcheol came out to tell me you might be running late. He mentioned you were wrapping things up but were trying to meet me as soon as you could.”

Seokmin raises a brow and turns to Seungcheol, who only offers him a sheepish grin. Seokmin picks up on Seungcheol’s subliminal message—that Seokmin was in a hurry _because_ he wanted to see him more quickly—and he can only pray that Soonyoung doesn’t pick up on the undertone.

“I was also telling Soonyoung here about how nice your house is,” Seungcheol adds, his eyes twinkling. “He’s said he’s seen it, but only from the outside. You should show him in sometime, Seokmin! Especially your brother’s TV. Oh, and they’ve also got this really cool—”

“Go home, Seungcheol,” Seokmin barks at his friend, swatting his hand at Seungcheol dismissively. He knows exactly what Seungcheol is up to: Perhaps it’s his fault that he’s let things come to this, though. On the one hand, he’s relieved from having to suggest the invitation himself; on the other, he’s faced with the pressure of having to actually let Soonyoung inside his house.

It's perhaps by some blessing that Seungcheol’s house is moderately out of their way, given how Seungcheol insists that he stick around and how Soonyoung tries to assure Seokmin that Seungcheol’s company wasn’t unwanted, and while Seungcheol does hang around for a while eventually it becomes just Seokmin and Soonyoung. They take the detour along the beach again—this time, they talk about each other’s relatives, favorite movies, and why Seokmin doesn’t just take this route every night.

Once more, Seokmin finds them at his house. It’s a goodbye he’s become more familiar with, though the awkwardness doesn’t seem to have lessened. During the minute’s worth of silence that follows, snippets of Seungcheol’s conversation come to mind. As expected, Soonyoung doesn’t bring up the TV, or their balcony, or anything that would otherwise prompt Seokmin to invite him inside. Soonyoung is considerate, but perhaps too considerate, because Seokmin _does_ want to invite him inside.

“Well, I should probably get going” Soonyoung says, turning to leave. For a brief moment Seokmin considers what Seungcheol will tell him when he finds out he’s failed yet again, even after all the extra help that was given to him. He thinks about his own guilt from failing to show Soonyoung in. Then he remembers a time where a different set of shoulders had retreated from his house, never to be seen again…

“No, wait,” Seokmin pleads. He reaches out for Soonyoung’s shoulder, though Soonyoung has already stopped at Seokmin’s request. Seokmin takes a few moments to collect his words. His memories fade, no longer blur with the present. Soonyoung isn’t leaving him. Not yet. “Won’t you come inside?”

Without missing a beat, Soonyoung nods and offers him the warmest smile as he steps inside the house. Seokmin almost thinks all the stress he’s had over this hadn’t been worth it at all—almost, except that he still doesn’t know what this one act of hospitality means moving forward; yet again, Seokmin decides to put it off for another time. His suspicions are especially validated by how awkward it feels showing Soonyoung around. He doesn’t get how fascinated Soonyoung is over everything; then again, he supposes everything looks more novel from Soonyoung’s eyes than from his own, like how his brother’s TV had probably looked impressive to him the day they first bought it, as had their loft upstairs when he’d first seen it.

“And here’s my bedroom,” Seokmin says, gesturing to the single bedroom on the upstairs floor, though he doesn’t quite understand the laughter he’s met with. “…Soonyoung?”

“It’s nothing,” Soonyoung reassures him. Seokmin supposes that there _is_ something, but he chooses not to press further. “Hey, that’s the shell I got you the other day, isn’t it?”

Seokmin nods, following Soonyoung’s gaze to his nightstand. He’s still fond of the seashell, even though the incandescent lighting of his room doesn’t quite produce the pretty shine as the full moon could.

“I hope this is a good enough home.”

“That depends,” Soonyoung replies. “Do you hold it in your hands and greet it good morning and good night?”

“…no.”

“Do you remember to give it its daily rub?”

“Sometimes.”

Soonyoung’s eyes light up, though Seokmin doesn’t know why. “Do you feed it once a day?”

“With _what_ , though?” Seokmin laughs, shaking his head as Soonyoung’s questions become stranger and stranger. “My love?”

“Bingo!” Soonyoung is beaming as he walks over to the nightstand, holding the seashell gently between his hands. “I think you’re in good hands, little guy,” he whispers, stroking the top with his fingers; Seokmin wonders if he should be taking notes. “Has your mommy been taking care of you well while daddy was gone?”

“Hey—why am I its mommy?” Seokmin cries out, but Soonyoung only turns his back to him, shushing Seokmin rather than answering his question.

“Quiet, Seokmin, the little guy’s still waking up from his nap.”

Seokmin rolls his eyes incredulously. “How do you know it’s a guy, anyway? It doesn’t even have a name.”

Soonyoung shrugs nonchalantly. “I just can. But you’re right about the name. Hmm, what to name you….”

“Shelly?” Seokmin offers, but Soonyoung quickly shuts the suggestion down.

“No, it’s too punny. It’s like calling you Humany just because you’re a human: it’ll probably be offensive to the little guy.” Reluctantly, Seokmin returns to the drawing board—but more importantly, after about ten seconds of brainstorming, he begins to question the life he’s leading if he’s up at nearly one in the morning thinking up names for a seashell.

He also wonders why Soonyoung is willingly awake at one in the morning thinking up names for a seashell with him, just as he wonders why Soonyoung’s spent the last few days hanging out with him rather than making touristy plans. If he were in Soonyoung shoes, he would make sure his vacation was worth every penny… not that he knows how much Soonyoung has spent, though.

“We could name him after ourselves,” Soonyoung suggests at last, snapping his fingers excitedly, as if it’s the most brilliant idea he’s come up with that evening. “Seokyoung? Except my name should come first… Soonseok?”

“Why should your name come first?” Seokmin asks. “Is it because you’re the dad?”

“So you agree I’m the dad?” Soonyoung asks, his eyes twinkling as he sets Soonseok down onto the nightstand once more. Soonyoung continues as he ignores Seokmin’s nonverbal protests, “Actually, I was thinking it just sounded better than Seokyoung. Plus, I found him, so I think my name should come first. Why?—do you not think Soonseok is a cute name?”

“I…” Seokmin begins, not really planning to disagree, but when he turns and finds Soonyoung pouting at him, Seokmin’s heart beats out of his chest. He can hardly find it in him to refuse. And though Seokmin can’t explain why, in that moment, he has the sudden urge to lean forward and…

Seokmin shakes his head free from his thoughts, though Soonyoung misinterprets.

“ _You don’t think it’s a cute name_?!”

Seokmin laughs nervously, raising his hands defensively. “No, no—I do, I really do, I promise! It’s very cute. We can name him Soonseok.”

At his words Soonyoung stops pouting, his lips curling into a grin. In that moment, and Seokmin again can’t explain why, he feels relieved.

—

At three in the morning, Soonyoung thinks it’s ‘probably getting late’ and that he ‘should probably get going.’ At four, Seokmin agrees, pausing the movie midway through with the promise of finishing the latter half another time. At five, Soonyoung actually leaves.

It’s not an awkward goodbye this time, not to Seokmin anyway. There’s no struggle for words, no feeling around for what and what not to say. Maybe it’s just because he’s tired, but he feels good about Soonyoung, in more than a _first impressions_ kind of way. By the time he sleeps, Seokmin thinks he’s made a good friend out of Soonyoung.

Right before Seokmin falls asleep, a quiet voice in the back of his head reminds him that people like Soonyoung never last.


End file.
